Disabled-friendly voting system to be made available: EC tells HC

Chennai: Election Commission on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that proper instructions had been issued to all state electoral officers to make necessary provisions to enable disabled persons cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls.

Recording the EC's response, a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sathish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sunderesh disposed of a petition which sought a direction to the commission to make the 2014 Lok Sabha polls disabled-friendly by providing special facilities.

Senior Counsel G Rajagopalan, who appeared for the EC, submitted a March 13 notification issued by the commission to the Chief Electoral Officer of all the states and Union Territories with regard to the facilities that shall be made available to the disabled persons enabling them to vote.

The notification contains instructions including that the disabled persons shall not be insisted to stand in the queue for voting, provision of temporary ramps and wheelchairs and allowing visually challenged persons to be accompanied by an attendant.

Noting that the case of the petitioner was that despite issuance of such instructions nothing had been done in the past, the court said it was recording the statement of the EC counsel that they will direct all the authorities to follow the instructions strictly this time.